Christmas Cookies
by allthingsmagical
Summary: Sequel to Pendragon's Pastries. It is Christmas time and ten year old Caleb wants to give his parents something different this year, with the help of Lancelot and Gwen.


_**I don't own Merlin. It belongs to the BBC**_

 _ **This is a Christmas story for Forevercullen. hope you enjoy it and have a great Christmas x**_

 _ **Summary: Sequel to Pendragon's Pastries. It is Christmas time and ten year old Caleb wants to give his parents something different this year, with the help of Lancelot and Gwen.**_

 _ **Warnings: Light malexmale, AU**_

 _ **I apologise in advance for any mistakes I may have made**_

* * *

Arthur was searching all around his and Merlin's bakery. "Merlin have you seen the heart shaped cutter?" he called out.

Merlin walked into the back room to take some cookies out of the oven. "Now why are you looking for the heart shape cutter, it's Christmas time Arthur."

"I don't need it Merlin but it would be nice to know where it is for the next holiday is Valentine's day."

"We have two months until then Arthur." Merlin said as he put down the tray of cookies that were shaped like little trees and putting in more that were of Santa's face.

Caleb poked his head around the corner and seeing his dad take cookies off a tray and his father searching drawers and cupboards he leaned around the corner and picked up the red icing in the tube before running back upstairs.

"These have turned out nice." Merlin said as he looked at all the trees. "Once they are cool I will decorate them with some red."

Arthur walked over to his husband. "Well done Merlin, where are these ones going to when decorated?"

"Children's ward at the hospital."

Arthur nodded, I better make some Santa and snowmen ones as well then." Arthur said as he took Merlin into his arms.

"Put each other down we need some cheese sticks out here, and Sefa called in sick, we need some cover in the cafe area." a voice said.

Arthur and Merlin turned at the voice and saw Lancelot stood there. "I will go to the cafe, Arthur you stay here and bake and come and let me know when my trees have cooled." Merlin said, kissing his husband as he left with Lancelot.

* * *

That night Lancelot walked over to Arthur. "That is me off now, I will just nip up and say bye to Caleb." he said, Merlin and Arthur nodding as he walked past them and up the stairs, he walked in the large flat to see Caleb sat at the table drawing. "Caleb?"

Caleb quickly turned his drawings over and laid his arms across the before looking over his shoulder, sighing with relief when he saw Lancelot. "Oh its you. I thought it was dad or father."

Lancelot laughed. "Are those the drawings of what you want it to look like?" he asked as he walked over to the table.

"It is, and here is what I want it to say but I want to write it on."

Lancelot looked at the drawings, "we can do this tonight if you like."

"Really?"

"Of course, get up really early and place it in the window, your parents won't know of it until customers comment as I always place cakes and such in the window."

"Great!" Caleb said as he jumped up and hurried to pack an overnight bag.

Lancelot walked back downstairs. "Told Caleb to pack an overnight bag and come home with me, told him his parents are really tired and want to get straight to bed." he said with a wink.

Arthur smiled and snaked his arm around Merlin's waist pulling the brunet close to him. "Oh yes. Thank you Lancelot."

* * *

At three in the morning Gwen paddled barefoot into the kitchen to see Lancelot placing a large flat tray in the oven before standing up. "I just know our children will have the best daddy if you are doing all this for a boy who isn't even your son."

Lancelot turned around and held his wife close, placing a hand on her protruding belly. "I didn't wake you did I?"

"No, baby woke me pressing on my bladder. Anything I can taste?"

Lancelot laughed and fed his wife a heart shaped cookie. "I made extra for you love. I better get Caleb up, these are cool enough to decorate and he wanted to do it himself."

Caleb mumbled when he felt someone shake his shoulder. "Don't wanna." he mumbled.

Lancelot smiled. "Okay, I will just decorate the cookies myself, I will just go by your drawings." he said, smiling when Caleb shot up and out of bed with a smile on his face, finally remembering why he wanted to stay over and get up so early.

Lancelot laughed. "I thought that would get you up. Now go and wash and dress."

* * *

Lancelot was just checking the cookies to see if they were cool before checking the big shaped one in the oven when Caleb walked in. "Is it done?" he asked.

Lancelot stood and turned to the boy. "Nearly." he smiled. "These ones are cool, how about decorating them how you want them."

Caleb smiled and took out some coloured icing. Lancelot frowned when he saw one of them. "Is that the red one your dad was searching for and couldn't find?"

"Yes." Caleb looked guilty. "But I need it to my present for them, dad has lots of other colours."

Lancelot laughed and put his hands up. "Hey I am not judging or going to tell you off, I was just asking that's all."

Caleb grinned and started to decorate the cookies, concentrating with all his might, his tongue sticking out as though it would help him more.

Gwen sat at the table with a cup of tea and smiled as she watched Caleb decorate each one before placing the finished cookie on a tray and then moving on to the next one. "Your dad and father are lucky to have such a wonderful and thoughtful son like you Caleb." she said.

Caleb smiled. "Thank you Gwen but I am the lucky one." he answered before continuing with his work.

* * *

It was just over two hours later when Gwen quietly opened the bakery/cafe and Caleb and Lancelot walked in, Caleb carrying the small cookies and Lancelot carrying the great big one that took Caleb nearly one hour to do as he wanted it done in his best handwriting.

Caleb placed the cookies down and went and stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the flat above, he was to listen out for his parents as he knew any time now they would be waking up, Lancelot was sorting out the window display with Gwen outside mouthing and moving her hands about, showing Lancelot where to put things.

* * *

It was six o'clock when Merlin unlocked and opened the doors to the cafe/bakery while Arthur turned everything on in the kitchen and started to make sandwiches while waiting for everything to heat up. Merlin walked in the back room and just started to help Arthur when the doors to the kitchen opened with a bang making both Arthur and Merlin jump.

"Dad! Father!"

"Caleb?" Arthur asked. "Its just gone six in the morning what are you doing here?"

"I came with Lancelot, he is just sorting the window display out then he said he will be here to help."

Lancelot had walked into the kitchen, winking at Caleb before starting to help. Caleb took the red colouring from his bag and quietly placed it back where he had found it, smiling when it went unnoticed by his parents. All he had to do now was wait for a customer comment on the window display.

* * *

It had just gone eight in the morning when Merlin had handed someone their change with a smile when the moment Caleb was waiting for came. The woman took her money off Merlin and smiled back. "Thank you. And you must be so proud of your son." she said, looking from Merlin to Arthur who also heard her and looked up. "Both of you."

Merlin's smile turned into a confused look. "We are, couldn't be more proud."

"Love him so much as well." Arthur added.

"I just know he feels the same about you." the woman answered before leaving.

Arthur walked over to Merlin and looked over to their son. "Caleb have you ever seen that woman before?"

"No father." Caleb answered as he helped himself to a tree shaped cookie.

As the morning went on more customers commented on how proud they must be of Caleb and love him. Caleb had fallen asleep, making Arthur carry him up to bed after Lancelot explained he had been awake most of the night. It was only when a woman commented and left the shop but didn't leave before taking her phone out and taking a picture of the window that Arthur went out to look at just what the woman took a picture of.

Arthur felt his jaw drop when he looked at the window display. "Merlin come here quick!" he yelled once he found his voice.

Merlin walked outside and like Arthur's, his jaw dropped. "Oh my..."

In the window was a large Christmas tree shaped cookie that had writing on it in red lettering which they could see was Caleb's writing. From the top of the tree going down was the message _"Merry Christmas dad and father, the best parents a boy could ask for, Caleb XX"_ along the bottom of the tree on one side were six cookies, a letter on each one spelling out Arthur's name and on the other side six more cookies spelling out Merlin's name and in the centre right at the front was a picture in a frame that had Arthur and Merlin standing side by side with their arm wrapped around each, sharing a kiss, their free hand on Caleb's shoulder who was stood in front of them with his arms up pointing at his parents laughing.

"Arthur... I don't think proud even begins to cover what I am feeling for our son right now."

Arthur walked over to Merlin and wiped the tear that ran down his husband's cheek and looked over his shoilder when he heard the cafe/bakery door open and saw Lancelot walk out. "This is why our son was up half the night?"

Lancelot nodded. "Been up since three this morning bless him, wanted to do it himself. I just had to make the cookies and do the display, but it was all your sons idea. He didn't know what to get you for Christmas and wanted to do something that would show everyone just how he feels about you both."

Merlin looked at Arthur. "Love we have some cooking to do for tomorrow's display." he pulled himself out of his husbands arms. "Asleep or not I need to see and hug my son."

Arthur nodded. "Lancelot keep an eye on things down here." he said before following his husband inside and up to their flat above.

Merlin and Arthur walked into their sons bedroom to see Caleb just waking up. "My son.. my gorgeous son." Merlin said as he sat on the bed and pulled his son into a hug, only releasing him so Arthur could hug Caleb also.

"I am guessing you have seen your Christmas present from me?" Caleb asked once free from his father's hold.

"We have. Caleb son me and your dad can't even begin to put into words how we feel about that display in the window."

"At least I now know where my red colouring went." Merlin said with a smile as he nudged his son.

* * *

The next morning Caleb came walking down the stairs to see his father putting a flat tray in the oven. "Morning." he yawned.

Arthur turned and smiled. "Morning son, want your breakfast?"

"Please."

"Your dad is in the cafe part with Sefa,"

Caleb nodded and went to find his dad but not before giving his father a hug.

Arthur returned the hug and watched his son leave the kitchen with a smile on his face, he checked the oven before following his son through the doors.

Merlin placed a bowl of cereal in front of Caleb before sitting facing him. "We close at noon son, do you want to stay down here with us? A lot of people will be coming to get their Christmas cakes they have ordered with it being Christmas eve and us shut until after new year."

"I know dad. I like meeting the customers, they come and talk and say hello, I have even made friends with some of the customers kids."

* * *

Caleb sat and watched as customers started to come in, collecting their orders of Christmas puddings, one woman walked in and bought her pudding before walking over to Caleb. "Merry Christmas to you." she smiled.

"And to you Mrs Biggs."

"I must say I loved the display you did for your parents yesterday."

"Thank you."

"And to have them return it to you in the window."

"What?" Caleb stood up and ran from the shop.

Merlin and Arthur seeing this nodded to Sefa and Lancelot before walking outside to their son.

Caleb stared at the window display in front of him. In the middle was a large cookie in the shape of a Christmas tree, much like the one Lancelot did for him the day before only bigger, Caleb smiled at how it had been decorated by his dad before reading the message. _"Merry Christmas Caleb, the best son any parent could ask for, love dad and father. XX"_

On either side of the Tree at each end was a snowman and a santa cookie all decorated up at the front lay five cookies each one with a letter on spelling out Caleb's name, the rest of the display was decorated with pictures of Caleb from when he was a baby right up until two weeks ago, all the pictures with all three of them, not one picture was shown that didn't have one of them laughing and smiling.

Caleb turned and threw himself at his laughing parents. "Merry Christmas dad, father."

Merlin and Arthur hugged their son back. "Merry Christmas son." they said in unison before Arthur kissed Merlin's cheek, all three of them hugging in the street all unaware of the customers in the cafe/bakery that were standing and staring at the small family out of the window.

* * *

 _ **The end.**_

 _ **What do you think?**_

 _ **Review? x**_


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